The present invention relates in general to security locking devices and, in particular, to such devices for use in video cassette tapes whose viewing of is restricted.
Security apparatus used with prerecorded tape or tape having certain restricted information for use in video cassettes has become useful in modern day society. This results from a need, for example, to prevent unauthorized viewing of the contents of a cassette that may contain X-rated movie scenes that should not be viewed by non-adults.
Present day security systems for video cassettes are disclosed in certain prior art patents such as patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,745 (Hehn) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,713 (Cecchi). Both of these patents disclose relatively complex locking structures in operation and construction. In the Hehn patent, a key having barbs positioned at its lower end is employed with a lock mechanism which is inserted into the bore of the cassette. A pair of tabs are utilized to engage recesses in the bore of the cassette when the lock mechanism is placed in the security mode; and, in the non-security position the barbs are employed to retract the tabs from the pair of recesses.
The Cecchi patent discloses a video cassette locking operation which requires a pair of tongs designed to lock into two side openings of the cassette to secure it's operation; in addition, a special key is used to move the tongs inwardly to allow removal of the lock from the cassette.
Both of the above prior patents are somewhat complicated and expensive to secure the relatively inexpensive video cassette and, therefore, they do not appear to be viable in today's marketplace and, hence, do not provide an adequate solution to the security problem under discussion.